Thomas doyle



(No Model.)

T.DOYLE. MAIL POUGH FASTENER.

Patented Feb. 1, 1898 Jim 277/1; AWE/W01? WITNESSES ATTORNEY.

I v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS DOYLE, OF FORT WAYNE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HOMER-A.GORSLINE, OF SAME PLACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 598,139, dated February1, 1898. Application filed April 12, 1897. Serial No. 631,697, (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS DOYLE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Fort Wayne, in the county of Allen and State of Indiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-PouchFasteners; andI do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in mail-pouch fasteners; and itsobjects are to provide a collapsible frame for the mouth of the pouchadapted to hold it open and also improved means to hold the collapsedsides of the frame closely and securely together; and my inventionconsists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafterdescribed,pointed 0 at in the appended claims, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top view of the device,showing the flap at right angles to the pouch. Fig. 2 is a side view.Fig. 3 is an end view of the device closed, but not locked. Fig. 4 is aperspective view of the device, showing the mouth of the pouch held openby the frame; and Fig. 5 is a detail of the springcatch.

Similar numerals of reference refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views.

The frame consists of two flat bars or rigid sides 6 and 7, withcross-bars hinged at their ends. The cross-bars are formed of two halfparts 8 8, hinged at their centers to provide for collapsing. Ipreferably use knucklehinges 9 for these half parts to give a degree ofstiffness to the joints when the parts are fully opened out, as shown inFig. 4. I also use an additional device for this purpose. Alatching-piece 10 is pivoted on one of the half parts 8, so that its endextends beyond the joint, as shown in Fig. 1, and I attach aspring-catch 11 to the other part 9, adapted to receive and hold thelatching-piece 10 in place when lifted up into it. hen the two halfparts 8 and 9 of the cross-bar are in a is secured by rivets. fitting onthe inside.

straight line with each other, the free end of the latching-piece 10 isin position to be lifted up under the spring-catch 11, whereby thecross-bar is held extended. hen the piece 10 is pushed down out ofengagement with the catch 11, the cross-bar may be collapsed. The frameis adapted to fit the inside or outside of the mouth of the pouch 12, towhich it I have illustrai-edit as A flap 13, preferably part of thepouch 12, is constructed to pass over the top of the pouch when closedand down on the other side of the frame. On the upper end of this flap13 I attach a metal plate 14, corresponding in length to the side 7 ofthe frame, and provide it with slots 15 for the passage of the staplesor eyebars. The staples or eyebars are preferably three in number, amiddle one, 16, and two end ones, 17, all rigidly attached to the rearside 6 of the frame and adapted to project through the end of the pouch,as shown in Fig. 3. In the drawings I have illustrated them as shortbars 16 and 17, provided with orifices or eyes 18 at their ends. The twoparts 8 8 are also provided with slots 19 for the end eyebars 17 to passthrough when the frame is being closed. Other slots 20 are also made fortheir passage in the front side 7 of the frame, the whole being soconstructed that when the frame is collapsed the eyes 18 of the eyebars16 and 1'7 project just beyond the metal plate lat of the flap 13,whereby if bolts of a padlock were passed through said eyes the pouchwould be closely and securely locked; but I prefer the locking deviceillustrated in Fig. 3. It consists in the construction of two bolts 21to engage the two end eyebars l7, and they are held in place by two vguides each, one in form of a cover 22, which it, the bolts 21 arethereby forced to engagejoining of parts, as described, the use ofstaples or eyebars attached to one plate and passing through slots inthe others, sothat the eye or staple projects to form an orifice oropening through which a locking device operates, and the locking deviceconsisting of the bolts 21, guides therefor secured to a plate throughwhich the staples or eyebars project, and a center piece provided with aslot for the middle eyebar and connected by hinges, and the interveningbolts 27, with the bolts 21, adapted to operate as stated.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a mail-pouch, a fastener consisting of two rigid side plates orbars, cross plates or bars hinged thereto and also hinged at theircenters so as to form two equal half parts, three staples or eyebarsrigidly attached to one of the sides of the frame, slots in thecrossbars and side plate for the passage of the staples or eyebars, andmeans to lock the frame together when collapsed, consisting of twosliding bars jointed to an intermediate plate which is provided with aslot through which the center staple passes, the two sliding bars beingadapted to enter the two end staples or eyebars and thereby lock theframe together and means to lock the center staple, the whole beingsuitably attached to the pouch, a

2. In a mail-pouch fastener,a locking device consisting of two metallicplates or bars secured to the pouch, one of them provided with threeprojecting staples or eyebars, two attached at or near the ends and onein the center of the bar; slots in the other bar for the passage of saideyebars, two bolts adapted to enter the end staples respectively, and acenter piece or plate provided with a slot for the passage of the middleeyebar; two intervening bolts connecting the ends of the center piecewith the inner ends of the bolts by being hinged thereto; adapted todraw the bolts toward the center when the center piece is raised out ofengagement with the end eyebars, and to force the bolts into engagementwith the end eyebars when center piece is pushed down on the plate orbar; guides for said bolts attached to one of said bars to hold thebolts in place and guide them.

3. In a collapsible frame for mail-pouch openings, two rigidside bars,two cross-bars hinged at the centers, and a latch on one of the halfparts and a catch on the other the Whole adapted to lock the frame in anopen position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. THOMAS DOYLE.

Witnesses: j

HOMER A. GORSLINE, H. C. HARTMAN.

